Based on differing sources the ship will be named either CHINA XIAMEN or XIAMEN CHINA. The operating

China is poised to enter the world of cruising in a big way with reports of construction beginning on the first significant cruise ship to be built in that nation. The China Daily website reports that construction began on July 25, 2012 on a 100,000 whale watch celebrity alaska cruise gross ton luxury ship, at the Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry Co. Ltd., located in Xiamen, Fujian whale watch celebrity alaska cruise province, China. The ship, which will carry over 2,000 passengers, is being built at a cost of 3.1 billion yuan which is roughly US $485 million. The building period is projected to take six years, with delivery slated for October, 2018. With the shipyard having no previous experience in constructing a passenger ship, it is probably a wise idea to announce a protracted building schedule to allow for delays and possible setbacks in what surely will be a steep learning curve for the country and the builders.
Based on differing sources the ship will be named either CHINA XIAMEN or XIAMEN CHINA. The operating company is the Xiamen International Cruise Co. Ltd. which is a subsidiary of the Beijing-based Shan Hai Shu Group. By design, the ship is intended for Chinese cruise passengers. There will be eight Chinese restaurants with only one western-style restaurant. The interior decor will feature traditional Chinese paintings and artworks with examples of antique furniture. Current plans call for the new ship to operate on Asia-centric cruises of varying lengths visiting ports in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and Taiwan. The ship is one part of a larger project designed to extensively promote whale watch celebrity alaska cruise Xiamen as a future cruise hub. The Southeast China International Shipping Center package includes 10 projects led by the local construction of the large cruise liner, a cruise terminal with a massive whale watch celebrity alaska cruise shopping and entertainment complex and a shipping business center in the city of Xiamen, local officials said. The combined investment is expected to top 16.73 billion yuan or US $2.63 billion. Xiamen is located in one of China's five special economic zones open to foreign whale watch celebrity alaska cruise investment and was until recently known as a city of export-oriented factories, however in recent years, tourism has taken off and made the city a top leisure destination. The Port Of Xiamen currently has 81 berths which can handle vessels of all sizes, including 16 deep-water berths. Xiamen is the world's largest supply base of raw tungsten materials and interestingly is also the largest manufacturer and exporter of sunglasses in the world, producing 120 million pair each year.
Some very important names in the shipping world will be working with the Chinese to develop this new ship. Most notably, PFJ Marine Consulting, Ltd., the firm headed by Stephen Payne O.B.E. has been contracted "to design the interior in line with five-star standards." Mr. Payne is best known as the designer of the QUEEN MARY 2, the ROTTERDAM (vi) and has worked extensively in the past with Carnival whale watch celebrity alaska cruise Corporation Shipbuilding. His partners are Jeff Frier who had a hand in the NORWEGIAN EPIC and Raoul Jack who was Carnival's Director of Newbuilds during the construction of the latest superb trio of ships for Seabourn Cruise Line. Also onboard is the firm of Deltamarin, the Finnish group that contributed to Royal Caribbean's most recent pair of giants, OASIS OF THE SEAS and ALLURE OF THE SEAS, along with Celebrity whale watch celebrity alaska cruise Cruises 122,00 gross ton "Solstice Class." In previous months it was widely reported that Royal Caribbean International would be involved in various aspects of the Chinese shipbuilding project. After indicating that they would at least be acting as consultants, in August Royal Caribbean denied that they had any involvement with either the Chinese government or the Xiamen cruise projects. Royal Caribbean had planned to charter the 69,130 gross ton, 1,804 passenger LEGEND OF THE SEAS for a four-month period beginning in March to a new joint venture partner whale watch celebrity alaska cruise China World Cruises but the deal fell through when the charter terms were not met. It is not known if this event contributed to souring any deal with the Chinese regarding the new ship.
Royal Caribbean is rapidly becoming a major player in the Asian cruise market. VOYAGER OF THE SEAS is now the largest ship to be based seasonally in China. The 137,276 gross ton, 3,117 passenger vessel sailed from Shanghai this year. In June, 2013 sister ship MARINER OF THE SEAS will become the second very large ship to reposition to China. China has a massive middle class which is just beginning to emerge to form an almost completely untapped travel market potential of 56 million persons. If trends whale watch celebrity alaska cruise continue, it will be the fourth largest source of cruise passengers by 2020. It already is a very significant contributor to Royal Caribbean's whale watch celebrity alaska cruise revenue.
A couple of other small cruise operators in China were announced earlier this year. Hong Kong based Runfeng Ocean Deluxe Cruises Limited, recently began operations with the 17,370 gross ton OCEAN DREAM (ex SPIRIT OF LONDON, SUN PRINCESS, STARSHIP MAJESTIC, SOUTHERN CROSS, FLAMENCO, NEW FLAMENCO, FLAMENCO 1). The ship is registered in Sierra Leone, of all places, and sports a dragon painted on her bows, but is otherwise little altered externally from her original 1972 appearance as a P O ship. Also new is the China Cruise Company, Limited, which purchased and renamed the CHINA STAR (ex RADISSON DIAMOND, OMAR STAR, ASIA STAR) for $45 million. The first SWATH design for a large passenger ship when built in 1992, the 20,295 gross ton vessel has been used primarily for gambling cruises out of Hong Kong in recent whale watch celebrity alaska cruise years and still caters to the high-roller gamblers from mainland China. It is the Chinese mainland's first luxury cruise ship and if successful, whale watch celebrity alaska cruise the line plans a fleet of four or five ships to operate in the Asian market. Still the biggest news out of the Far East is the ambitious plans for the construction of the first large 100,000 ton luxury ship to be constructed by the Chinese for the Chinese.
I think TITANIC 2 is still in the works. Although I wish they would have picked a different shipyard than in China. It just doesn t feel right to me that all of our money is going to a country that oppresses its people and is growing increasingly whale watch celebrity alaska cruise aggressive whale watch celebrity alaska cruise to Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and America. And actually any nation that ia western. But it s cheap to build there. Which is ridiculous that you want to try to build an ocean liner there. Considering ocean liners whale watch celebrity alaska cruise are so much more expensive than this. Am I right to say it is an ocean liner. I figured it would have to be if it were going to regularly sail the New York-Southampton route. whale watch celebrity alaska cruise Would someone, be it Peter, whale watch celebrity alaska cruise Martin, or anyone feel free to catch me up on Titanic 2?
The European yards have turned the fabrication of hull sections, power plants and interiors into an art form through the many years of experience with success and sometimes failure. To see the Chinese who have a reputation for making products of dubious whale watch celebrity alaska cruise quality dive into large passenger tonnage head first should be very interesting.
Do they even have the yard infrastucture to cope with this endeavour, such as cabin manufacturing plants? or will things just be crafted on demand. Very interesting indeed. BTW, I ve nicknamed Titanic II- the Chitanic.
Not to pick on any country, although this is obviuos, Japan for years after WWII made inferior products, mainly, party favors and the like, then graduated to transistor radios, mine was Japanese built, tiny and the envy at school. Then came cheap cars, and some very fine cameras, and now, look at the marvelous products Japan builds, much to the chagrin of the USA and Germany. Japans philosophy was to mimic, copy, improve and make better. Look at Crystal Cruises, Lexus and most TV s. Made in Japan is no longer the maker of things akin to junk.
Now comes China. It may well be that they too can develope a keen manufacturing ethic on their own, although, they seem to shine with companies from thje USA seeking cheap labor, and causing US workers to loss their jobs as a result. Once the companies and tax breaks are given, there is not much hope of a turn around.
This may well morph into something to think about in the cruise industry. If China does work with enviable big guns in the cruise industry, you can be sure that cruise lines will eventually build in China, when quality is high, and contruction prices low. There is no union or health care or retirement plans to add expenses, just cheap labor, whale watch celebrity alaska cruise and steel from their own smelters, slag from the ships we once loved.
STX yards are in the red now, as is Fincantieri. Lack of new builds? Maybe. One thing is certain, as much as a glut of redone ships, new builds and more to come, China is poised to benefit in the future.